Amar Chitra Katha - Ayyappan

yya

Illustrated Classics From India

Over 86 milli on copies of over 400 titles sold worldwide! Amar Chitra Katha is a colleclion of illustrated classics Ihal reldl slories from Ind ian mythology, history, folktale and legend through the fascinating medium of comics. Over 430 stories from all o~er India have been told in this series that has been endorsed by educationists and recommended by teachers the world over. Through a masterful blend of commentary, dialogue and illustration , Amar Chitra Katha presents complex historical facts and intricate mythology in a format that would appeal to children. They not on!>' entertain, but also provide a filling introduction to the cultural heritage of India. In a country so vast and varied. the series also serves as a medium for national integration, by introdUCing young readers to the rich cultural diversity of the country and highlighting the achievements of local heroes. Amar Chitra Katha comics are like rami!>' heirlooms. passed down from generation to generation. These timeless illustrated classics are now also available online on www. AmarChilraKatha .com. Slarl your own collection lodayl

No. 673 • Rs 30

ii'ii INDIA BOOK HOUSE

o Indi~ BooIo: Hou~ Pvl. lid. 1975

Reprinted: Augusl 2005 ISBN: 81-7508-198-8 Published ~nd Printed by I ndi~ Book Hou~ Pv1 lId, Millhalaxmi Chambers, 5 th Floor, 22 Bhulabhai O~i Road, Mumbai 400 026, India.

AYYAPPAN

KIN0

THE WIYILTHY RULER OF NO CHILDREN.

HIS SUBJECTS WERE WORRIED. 15 NO HEIR TO THE THRONE, WHAT WILL BECOME OF U5 WHEN OUR KIN6 DIES?

o THAT HE WERE

BLESSED WITH Ii

SON.

r----"1

~,..-' "'" . " SON AS PIOUS AND

lttD4

6 ENEROUS

AS HE J&!

HIS FJMB/TIOUS DIWIIN, HOWEVER. WIlS HIIPP'T. , - - - - -- - AS LON0 AS THERE 15 NO HEIR TO THE THR.ONE, WHEN

RA..JASHEKHRRA orES HI5

KIN0DOM WILL CERTAINLY BE MINE.

VOU ARE RIGHT. MY QUEEN . LET U5 BE
FROM TffIlT OIlY

FERVENTLY TV LORD SHIVII FOR II SON.

MEIINWHILE, PIIR 11l" IIIY.THE EII7L

PENIIIVCES TO 08Tlt/N II BOON FROM LORD BRfJHMIl

TODAY.

'-"'~ "

LORD

8R~HMfj

APPEARED BEFORE HIM .

MIIH15HI15URA Wl15

LET MY DEATH NOT BE CAUSED

By ANY MAN ON THI5 EARTH.

l

YOU HAVE PlEASED ME MAHI5HA5URA . WHAT ·BOON DO YOU 5E.EK?

EMBOLDENED BY THE BOON. MitHISHfi5llRfJ B£6fIN HIIRRSSIN6 fiLL ON EflRTH.

o DEVA5. 5AvE US!

THE

DEV~

HELD COUNCIL .

THIS ASURR MU5T SE DffiTROYED. BECf\U5 E OF

BRAHMA'S BOON ,ONLY A WOMAN WOULD BE ABLE

THEN LET US EVOKE ONE WITH

OuR COMBINED

POWER5.

TO DO IT.

•

A5 SOON ~ THe WOMI1N

THEM-

BeFORE:

DEVI ! 60 TO EflRTH I\ND DE5TROY THE EVIL MI\HI5H1\5URA.

WE WILL C"LL

HER

CHANDIKf\

WHO 15 THAT 5ENSELESS WOMAN ,?60 BRINE'> HER TO ME.

LIiU0!fIN6 I1LL THE WHILE, CHIiNDIKrJ DEV! ON EIIRTH. THE WHOLE WORLD WfTH FORCE.

l

BUT CHIWOiKA DEVI VIINQUISHED THEM IN N O nME.

Tl\KE THE WHOLE ARMY IF

NECES~RY;

BUT

BRING HER HERE!

HOWEVER, THE IlRMY Wil5 NO NlilTCH EITHER FOR CHIINOIKA DEVI.IT wl'l5 SOON ROUTED.

r=~~::=::

,

MIlHISHII5URII WIIS MilD WI TH IIN6t:R . HE IIPPRO/ICHED CHI'INDIKfl D£VI

THAT WOMAN HA560NE TOO FAR. I S HAL L DESTROY HER.

HER.

WHEN MIiHISHI J THE WIFE OF MIiHISHfiSL/Rfi ,LEARNT OF HER.. HU5B1WD'S D£ATH-

HER MISSION IICCOMPLISHED, CHIINOIKA DEVIIt5CENDED TO ltC/WeN.

I SHAL L TEACH THE DEVAS A LESSON. IT WAS THEY WHO INVOKED THE DEVI.

MIlHISHI UNDERTOOK II DEEP PENIINCE 70 PROPITIIiTE LORD BR.I1tiMfi. HE flPPEilRED BEFORE HER. THAT I S HOULD MAHISHI' WHAT NOT MEET MY DO YOU DEATH AT THE DE5IRE? HANDS OF EITHER VISH NU OR SHI VA I

,.----- ---.1

8

BR.flHMfI eRllNTED tiER TliE BOON fiND VflN/StiED.

MIIHISHI 8E6IIN

TO WHOM WILL YOU TURN NOW?

Tilt/NT/No THE

SHIVA AND VISHNU

DEW/S.

,----r

POWERLESS

it...----

,--......

A6AIN5T ME.

SHIVII WIITr:HeD IINO IfE//RD fILL. WE MUsT CREATE !;ON WHO WILL DESTROY MAHI5Hr.

~

.

,

I MUST PUT I1N END TO MAHI5H"S I1RROOJ1NCE..

MY DEIIOTEES-

~~~~~~

~

R/1Jl1sHEKHI1R/1 AND HIS QUEEN. THE.Y LONe; FOR A CHILD.

I WILL TI1I<E HIM THERE!

WHO WILL RERf't. lflE. 811BY?

A~

SOON AS THE INFANT w/lS·CREffTED -

I -W ILL TIE 11-115 60LD

BELL AR<;>UND HIe> NECK BEFORE I TAKE HIM TO EARTH.

HOIV AND QUIET ITI5 HERE.

5lIOOENL Y HE HEARD

IfE 51lW Il IlLONEON It ROCK ,

fj

FEEBLE WIlIL.

A BABY'S CRY? HERE?

IfE LOOICED AROUND, NOTA SOU L IN '51e>HT, TO WHOM COULD IT BELON6?

POOR BIlBY ! DON'T CRY!

11

WHAT SHOULD

I DO<' SHOU LD I TAKE HIN'r HOME? OR5HOULD I LEI\VE HIM HERE?' ."

WHILE HE DEBATED WITH HIMseLF II

Ie.<~HMIlN SLlDOENL Y /lPPEJ'IREO BEFORE HIM.

DO NOT HESITATE,

o KIN6.TAKE HIM HOME.

BUT

WHO 15 HE ?

YOU WILL K NOW

WHEN HE 15 TWELVE YEARS O LD.

THEN WHEN THE BRl'lliNlflN WfiS flBOUT ro LEIWE-

WAIT! WHAT S HALL I

C/ILL HIM '?

CRLL HIM liFTER

BELL WHICH HAN05 KVUNU HIS N ECK .

RI'l
BUT R/I
HOMe TO HIS QUEEN.

THINK.

A CHILD AT LAST ! HOW HAPPY l AM.

HE IS GOD'S OWN 61FT.

so.

~---TH E ACWRSED CHILD! IT HAS U PSET ALL

MY o o

PU~N 5.

r-____________--~~____--, !4~~~~~~~~~

I

THE TIME MIWIKIINTffltN'S STUDIES WI'RE OVER, THE 6URLI KNEW THAT HE WIJS /I DIVINE PLEASE ACCEPT MY 6URU-

DAK.5HINA~

FROM YOU

__~__~

THeN THE 6URI./ 8ROU6HT. HIS BLIND MllTE SON BEFORE M/fNIK/lNTHIJIV.

MANIKANTHAN. PLEASE RE5TORE HIS 516HT AND SPEECH .

I WANT Ccw\PflSSION.

NOT THESE.

FATHER! I HAVE BEEN GIVEN PI NEW

LIFE'

N7ER THIS FIR.5T MlRflCLE MIINlt:lWTHIIN PERFORMED MIWY MORE. THE NEWS SPREflOll":D~•...F==::::-::;~;:;;;-;;;:~;;-;;;"""\ P' I HAVE NEVER SEEN .suCH A elFTED BOY.

OUR FUTURE

..

-

~6

A55URED. HE WILL SUCCEED THE

K IN6.

THE DlWIW, WHO OVERffEllRD TH£5E COMMENTS ... TRIBUTE GIVEN BY A OISCIPl£ TO HIS TEACHER

. .. 60T RE.ALLY WORRIED. ~~

I MU5T6ET RID OF THE

RND THEN THE UNFORESEEN HAPPENeD. THE QUEEN (?AVE BIRTH TO Ii SON.

RLA5 ·! WHY WERE YOU NOT BORN ERRLlER? NOW YOU

BOY SOMEHOW.

WILL NEVER BECOME KIN6. UNLE5S . •.

THE OIWIIN WIIS J/J8ILIINT.

II FEW Ofl'rS LATER. HE WENr TO THE QUEEN.

THE THRONE

MANI KANTH"N WI LL SOON BE TWELVE

E*iALL YET

YEARS OLD .HE WilL LI THEN BE CROWNED

BE MINE !

HEIR RPPARENT

"

WITH ' THAT. YOUR OWN OON WILL LOSE ALL CHANCES OF EVER 8ECOMIN6 THE RULER,

WHAT CAN

I DO? IflM HELPLESS .

WILLVOU 00 A5 I TELL yOU

I?

FOR THE SAo::E OF 'lOUR OWN 50N '? r

WILL . FOR MY 5Of\I J WILL DO ANYTHIN0.

THE DIW/tN THEN WENT TV THE COUIi!.T PHYSIC/lIN. DO FtS I TELL 'IOU RND 'IOU WILL6E WELL REWARDED.

5PEFtK!

THE QUEEN HAS A SEVERE HEADACHE. YOU WILL PRESCRIBE TI0RES6'S MILK AS THE ONLY REMEDY.

VERY WELL .

JUST THEN FI

THE QUEEN IS IN

NlE55EN6ER (fiME 70 THE

A60NY. THE P;::IN6

PHYSIC/FIN .

lIFTER THE PHYSiClIIN HIlD EXIlMINED

THE QUEEN-

HAS ASKED YOU TO EXf\MINE HER IMMEDIATELY.

WHAT 15 THE QUICKEST REMEDY?I CIlNNOT BEAR TO SEE MY QUEEN IN PAIN.

THE Y REMEDY FOR I AILMENT is TI6RE5S'S

,..:..:-==-',--'

T I6RE5S'5 MILK ~

BUT HOW ftRE WE TO 6ET IT

MItNY MEN WENT &IT ItLL ReTURNEDUNSUCCESSFUL.

WE SAW A NUMBER OF Tl6ERB . BUT•• .

'?

THEN, E XIICTL Y 115 THE WICkED OIWIIN HAD FOR£SEEN-

FOR MY MOTHER'S SAt:::E LET ME 60, FATHER .

MANIICJ1NTHAN, FATHER,LET ME 00 ON THIS

NO! YOU ARE TOO 'fDUNE> .

HOW CAN I LET YOO 00 ON SUCH R Df\N/3EROU5 VENTURE.

ERRAND!

BUT M/WIK/lNTHflN PERSISTED fiND RffoJII5HEK/fffR/l HAD TO YIELD.

ALL RI6 H T . MY SON.

60 IF yOU 1V145T. BU T TAKE

CARE.

MffNlKffNTHffN SETOUT

fOR THE FOREST.

"

HE wANDERED DEEPER AND DEEPER. INTO I T HE CliME 70 THE oc:mlllN OF'" MflHISH/ J WHO LIVED IN THIIT FOREST. WHO IS THJt1 CRERruRE

WHO

D~RES

TO TRESP~~

ON ()LIR FOREST? I MUST TELL MY MISTRES S.

THE ASliRA RAN TO MRftI5HI .

HOw DARE HE, WITHOUT MY PERMI5SION ! I'L L DESTROY HIM.

----r

THERE IS Po

BOY ROMIIN6 IN OUR

FORESTS.

MflttlSHI WENT LIP TO M/fNIK/WTHIW fiND. IITTIICKED

HIM . I

MY

E~RTHLY

Ml5510N I~

ABOUT

TO BE

20

M fWIKflNTHIiN 500N KiLLED MAHI5ff1.

115 MIWIKflNTHIW CONTINUED HIS 5£11RCIf rOR If T/6RES5 , INDRfI . J;:IN6 Or THE DEVIlS,IlPPEARED BErORE HIM .

THE DEVilS WHO HAD ACCOMPANIED INDRfl !1L50 TURNED THEMSELV£5 INn?

r SHAL L TAKE THE

FORM OF A TI6RES5

AND COME WITH YOU INTO T HE CITY AS YOuR MOUNT .

c

<--21

n~55~£5~.Jr----J7~~~~~ •

WE WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE CI T Y.

liS MIINIKRIVTHRN R O DE INTO mE CITY ON HIS TERRIFYING MOUNT BY liN EQUIiLL Y TERRIFYING RETlfYUE - · T I6ER5 ! '

~C---....,

MAN1KANTHf\N HAS RETURNED .. , WITH A HORDE OF r

MAN IKf\NTHAN IS TWELVE TODAY. TODAY

I WIL L KNOW WHO HE 15.

AND FELL liT

JUST TH£N HE HE/IRD It DIVINE VOICE .

--------1 MANll(ANTHflN IS NONE BUT 00D HIMSELF.

PLEASE

SEND THE TI6RE5sE5

AWRY, MRNllCflNTHRN. MY PEOPLE ARE TERROR5TRICICEN.

MfiNIKRNTHAIV SMILED, liND THE TIGRESSES VIINl5HED.·, . . - - - - - - d AS SOON AS YOU L EfT. THE QUEEN RECOVERED. I BECfWlE SUSPICIOUS.

MY SUSPICION S WERE CONFIRMED

WHEN I OVERHEARD A CONVERSIITION BETWEEN HER liND M'I DIWAN.

" tlH"LL PUNI.5H THEM fOR THIS.

"ND NOW I MUST

LEIWE THIS WORLD. "P~RE

THEM.THEY HASTENED MY MI5SION OF SLAYING M"HISHI.

LORD, ~

L~ 5T

REQUEST.

SnOW ME THE PLACE IN MY KIN0DOIVI WH ERE I MA,( BUILD A TEMPLE

FOR '(Ou.

r ~M PLE~SED .

BU ILD IT . WHERE THIS ARROW I SHOOT

FALLS .

'You MAY OBSERvE TH E PATH OF THE ARROW.

MIWtKIWTH/jN vl1NISHED /jIVO THE KIN0 BE6li1V HIS TREK TO THE

MOlINrmN

TOP?;;-;::====:::-::---l IT 1550 HI6H .. . IMPOSSIBLE .

.

LET THERE BE J U ST EI0HTEEN STEPs LERDIN6

TO THE TEMPLE AT THE EASTERN .

erATE.

itT L!loT RIkIfl5HEXHIIRII REflCHED THE TOP OF THE MOUNT/UN.

n

eM

ffi HE STCXJO THERE; D/jZED WONDERlN6 WHERE TO 8E6fN-

HOW WILL

I 5HALL SEND

I EVER ACHIEVE

VI5HWRKflRM/\

M"f

-rn~" ~

TO HELP YOU O UT.

···THE Mfl6NIFICENT TEMPLE WflS SOON COMPLETED.

T HROUGH THE l ORD'5 GRACE IT HR5 RISENNOBLE AN D IMPOSING.

LORD VISHNU DIVINED THE KIN6'5 IINXIETY. HE SENT FOR P,9RffSHURI'IMII.

WILL I FIND A BEFITTING IDOL NOW ?'

60 OOWN TO EARTH AS A 5TONE-Cf\RVER. HEL P R1WAS HEKHAR.-9 INSTALL TH E IDOL .

27

PAR!1S1fURflMfI LEFT FOR R/jVFJ5HEKHIIRII~

Pi/LllCE IIV "HE 0flRS OF II SCULPTOR .

--,,--'

liT THE KIN6'S COlIRT-

I HAVE HEARD OF YOuR. PROBLEM .I IWI'I BE RSLE TO

SHO W ME YOUR WARES BEFORE 'fOU TRICE UP THE TASK. .

HELP. -

--

YOU RRE N O ORDtNAR)' SCULPTOR. TELL ME THE TRUTH. WHO ARE YOU?

PfiRASHURfiMfl ASSUMED HIS OWlY FORM .

TODAY. THE DAY OF I RM PRRASHURF\MR. I Hf\VE ALRERO'f FASHIONED THE IDOL.

MAKRRA ,sRNK-RANTt,IS RU5P1etOUS. t SHALL INSTALL THE IDOL STRAI0HTRWA'f. To""'';?

THU5 IT WilE> TWIT THE IMfll?JE OF flYYIIPPII, As MflNIKfiNTHAN CAME

TO BE POPULARLY KNOWN, WfJ5

MEIiNWHILE THE WICKED DIW/'JIV wti5 IiFFLlCTED BY liN INCURABLE D/5EIiSE .

ONE Nf6HT HE HIiD fl

I HAVE SINNED. WIL L I EVER BE CLEANSED '?

aUT ENTER ONLY AFTER. CLEANSING 'tOuR5ELF IN THE PAMPR'!"

COME TO MY TEIYIPL.E ON THE 5HASARI HILL

I H/WE COME TO WASH AWAY M't SIN 5 IN R.EMORsE , HOLY fV\OTHER.5I\VE

THE D/WItH CliME GLOWIN0 WITH

HEIILTH -

~'g~!:.TH.~~:..!:,.~t1!:r.~G::R-=--_-.d

"!I

I AM CLEANSED. THE HOLY MOniER HR S BEEN

MERCIFUL.

'If

RIVER 51UD TO 8£ ENUVENED By THE SPIRIT OF SHfJBftRf. THE. DE'vOTEE OF LORD RfiMFI.

THEN WITHOUT P/tU.5INg FOR. 8RE/JTfi HE R/lN UP TO THE rE.~ M .::A ..:';:: -E ::'~--,_--,;-_1

A'IYAPPA! A YY~PPA

!

\

IWffEN HE REACHED

THe 51WCTUM 5I11VCTOR.UM, CNERCOME By EMonON HE

FELL /iT THE FeET OF THE IDOL. f;lWAMIYE S Hf\Rf!NAM

RYYf'lPPA !

TO THIS D!iY IJs PILGRIMS NlFlKE THEIR WfiY TO THE TEMPLE OF ItYY/lf>pIl, THEY CflLL OUT 'SWflMIYE SHflR/1NflM flYYflPPfI .' 31

Amor Chitro Kotho is a coll ection of illustrated classics that retell stories from Indian mythology, history, folktale and legend , through the fascinating medium of comics. Over 400 titles have been published in the Amor Chitro Kotho comic series that are approved by parents, appreciated by children and accepted by schools.

Mythology 501 I(ri$hr'lO

S02 Honumon 510 Buddho 511 Sovilri 512 Toles 01 Vishnu .520 Totes of No.odo 524 Ind.o ond Shibi

525 Toles of Arjuno 531 I
570 Dmhoro!ho 571 DhOJvo ond A$hrovokro 512 Ancestors 01 Ramo 569 I(rishno olld Shishupolo 592 Ghototkocho 612 Urvoshi 663 Min.>ddho

558 Bimol the Clever 559 Bi,bol the J~st 578 i(esori lhe Flying Thiel 580 Inim ~oble Birbol 58 1 Romon the Molchless Wit 584 Gapol the Jester 587 Birbol the Genius

6(7 A Bog of Gold Coins 621 Udoyooo 625 Bortle of Wits 659 Devi Chovdhuroni 664 I(ing I(usho 667 Bikollt1e Terrible 713 The Fool's Di$Ciples

606 Roni Durgovoti 627 Horsho 630 Rono 50ngo 632 Vidyosogor 648 Somvdro Gupta 676 Rona Kumbho 682 Tonoji

685 Chond Bib; 701 Noor Johon 704 Jollionwolo Bogh 722 Megos!henes 723 Jnoneshwor 725 Sulrono Ralic 734 Bondo Bohodur

564 Shivoji 608 81-.ogot Singh 611 Booosoheb Ambedkor 6135oo.dos 631 Choitonyo Mohoprabhu 636 Krishnodevo Reyo 645 Lokomonyc Tilok

647 lot Bohodur Shostri 650 Mohormo Gondhi 678 Veer Sovon.or 679 Swomi Prooovonondo 693 Joyaprokosh Narayan 70:1 Jowohorlol Nehru 732 Sworn. Chinmoyonondo

Folktales 507 Nolo Domoyonti 523 Romon of Teooli 543 Jotako Toles: Monkey Siooes 553 JOlOko Toles: Jackol SlOries 55 4 Jotoko Toles: Elephonl SlOries 555 Jotoko Toles: Deer SlOnes 557 Bimol the Witty

Hi story SOB Chonokyo 536 Ashoko 563 Rono Protop 568 Vikromodityo 579 Modhvochoryo 603 Akbar 604 Pnrhviroj Chouhan

Biography 517 Vivekonondo 535 Miroooi 539 Roni 01 Jhonsi 54 4 Subhos Chondro 80se 548 Robindronorh Togor~ 551 Tulsidos 563 Reno Protop

Visit www.AmarChitraKatha.com for details o n how to order these titl es online. ~

liN INDIA BOOK HOUSE MJhJla~mi

Chambers, 51h Floor, 22 Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai 400 026, India. Te123523827 Fa~ 23538406 Email infoOamarchitrakalha.com

Illustrated Classics From India

Awppan The legend of Shabari Malai A strange and fascinating series of divine events led to the birth of Manikanthrm. Manikanthan had a glorious destiny. At the end of a life full of dramatic Bvents, Lord Parn hurama himself sculpted and installed an idol 01him in the hill temple of Shabari. There, as lord Ayyappan, he is worshipped as the p resi d in ~ deity of the entire hill fange . This lone temple on the top of the Shabari hills, deep in the fOfests of Ketala, attracts millions of devotees

from all over the country every year. They travellhrough dense forests full of wild animals, over steep hills and in incleme:'lt weather to obtain his 'datshan' (e glimpse) on Makara Sanbenthi day (which l alls on 14th January each yearl. It is said that the lord comes down to the Shabari Hills on Makara Sankranti in the form of light to give 'darshan' to his innumerable devotees and himself lights the tempte tamp. Then In a moving and beautiful ritual the pilgrims partake of the 'prasad' and watk backwards down the eighteen steps, their laces turned towards the l ord, shining with devotion and ecstasy .

Editor: Anant Pai Script: Shyamala Mahadevan

Illustrations: M. Mohandas

Cover: C.M. Vitankar

Related Tilles Tales of Shiva • Ganesha • Shiva Parvati Kartikkeya • Sati and Shiva • Sons of Shiva

ISBN 81-7508-198-8

1M INDIA BOOK HOUSE